Critical Success Factors of the Food Service Industry

Abstract

Food service industry has expanded globally in recent years. This article provides an empirical study on the identification of the critical success factors of food service operations and the restaurant industry. Research objective was to develop factors for food service industry/restaurants in order to identify key dimensions in determining consumer choice. The primary instrument was developed through a thorough and detailed analysis of the literature followed by qualitative research. A quantitative survey with a sample of 300 participants, followed. A seven-factor, 24-item measure was extracted from the purification process. A second stage analysis followed with new data collected for the study from a sample of 400. The final structure included six factors consisting of 14 items. The factors labeled as (a) Adaptation to Locality, (b) Service, (c) Facilities, (d) Food Quality, (e) Place to Be, and (g) Sales Incentive Program. Reliability and construct validity were established using coefficient alpha measures and confirmatory factor analysis. Success factors can be used by researchers and marketing managers to help them better understand market and consumer behavior.